Consolation Prize
by Jo the Phoenix
Summary: Bobby cheers Jean-Paul up. Fluff piece. Iceman/Northstar.


Consolation prize

The heat had been unbearable, and so Bobby Drake had been in high demand. This was fine for his ego, but after six hours of cooling drinks, creating icebergs in the swimming pool, building ice slides, and basically acting as a portable air conditioning unit, he was ready to go back to being the guy for which there was no demand. He was tired and feeling slightly used when he made his way down the winding path to the lake. The punishing sun had finally lost some of its intensity around four o'clock, and Bobby intended to relax away from the sweaty hordes of mutants around the mansion. When he reached the lake, he pushed his sunglasses up onto his hair, unbuttoned his shirt, and then plopped down on the rickety dock. He was surprised that there weren't more people out here. But most people were frolicking in the clean swimming pool, which should still have ice floating in it, or they were inside, fanning themselves by air conditioning vents. There was one bundle of towel and clothing near-by, but Bobby didn't see anyone. He relaxed. Sighing, unconcerned about his risk of losing a shoe to the water, he kicked off his sandals and laid back on the dock. He nodded off for a bit, but awoke when he heard the sound of gravel crunching under someone's feet. He raised his head, peering blearily around in the brightness and spotted Jean-Paul walking out of the lake towards the pile of clothes.

Bobby yawned and sat up, scratching absently at his bare chest. "Hey," he said.

Jean-Paul glanced at him, muttered a greeting, and pulled on his t-shirt.

"What time is it?" Bobby asked, squinting at Jean-Paul and putting his sunglasses back on.

Jean-Paul shrugged. Bobby looked around the lake. No-one else was there. Jean-Paul carried his sandals down to the water's edge to rinse his feet clean before sliding them into the shoes.

"It's easier if you do that from here on the dock…" Bobby began, but trailed off, watching Jean-Paul hover above the sand to put his shoes on. "Never mind." Jean-Paul didn't answer.

"You look depressed," Bobby observed. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

"I know you're not normally Mister Chatty, but you seem down today." Bobby stood and wandered over to him.

"It is not your concern."

"Sure it is! Uhhhh-" Bobby tried to think of a reason that it might be his business. "As your teammate, it is so my concern. For team welfare, and all that."

"Why must everyone pry into my personal business?" Jean-Paul snapped.

"'Cause your personal business is way more interesting than anyone else's around here," Bobby quipped, grinning.

Jean-Paul snorted. He seemed ready to walk away, but turned back to Bobby. He challenged, "How can my personal life be more interesting than anyone's- I don't have a personal life."

"Is that why you're depressed? Did you break-up with someone?"

"No."

"Did you have a fight?"

"No. There is no-one."

"Seriously?" Bobby was shocked.

Jean-Paul looked taken aback at Iceman's surprise. "I spend my evenings marking papers," he explained quietly.

Bobby didn't accept that. "So do most folks around here." He paused. "You seriously mean to say that there's no-one? You're not dating _anyone_?"

Jean-Paul shook his head, mute.

Bobby blinked behind his sunglasses. "Not at all? Not online, even?"

"It's hard to have a personal life when the one you want barely realizes that you exist."

Bobby nodded, silently wondering how in the world he got Northstar to open up to him. Usually his own conversations with people were as shallow as a kiddie paddling-pool. He didn't mind, though. He had been concerned about his teammate and friend. Jean-Paul seemed really quite depressed. He needed something light to say, and so he spat out the first thing to come to mind.

"I don't think there's anyone in the universe that doesn't realize that you exist. You're pretty remarkable," Bobby said. So what if it was a little flirty? He flirted shamelessly. Jean-Paul didn't answer immediately, so Bobby plunged on. "If they truly _don't _realize that you exist, then they're stupid. I wouldn't waste my time on them, if I were you."

Jean-Paul's lips quirked in a small smile. Bobby grinned back, unabashedly. He didn't know what to say next, and so he just put his sunglasses up on his head again, after running his hands through his sandy hair. He noticed Jean-Paul glance at his body, so he stretched a little, and spread open his shirt slightly. He really _was _shameless, he thought to himself. Jean-Paul's glance lingered a bit the second time, which pleased Bobby immensely. He looked at Jean-Paul slyly and smiled again. Jean-Paul blushed, caught.

Before Bobby knew what he was going to do, he had reached over and touched Jean-Paul's lips with his fingertips, then stretched up and kissed him. It lingered for a moment, not rushed, but breathless. They broke apart. Jean-Paul's face was unreadable.

"I don't know if I'm much of a consolation prize, but… uh, I…. uh…" Bobby shrugged awkwardly. "I'm here."

Jean-Paul tasted his own lips, eyes closed, and smiled.


End file.
